APPROVED JIC Meeting Minutes - 09.27.23 — original pdf

Approved Minutes

(JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE) MEETING MINUTES (10.25.2023) JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE (JIC) REGULAR MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th, 2023 The JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE convened in a REGULAR meeting on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th, 2023, at the PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER (PDC) - AUSTIN CITY HALL - BOARDS & COMMISSIONS ROOM, 301 W. 2ND STREET in AUSTIN, TEXAS. Vice-Chair Commissioner RICHARD BONDI called the JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE MEETING to order at 3:11pm CST. Commissioners in Attendance: Commission on Aging: Richard Bondi (Vice-Chair) Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Asian American Quality-of-Life Advisory Commission: Hanna Huang Commission for Women: Rebecca Austen Commission on Immigrant Affairs: Melissa Ortega Early Childhood Council: Leonor Vargas Human Rights Commission: Morgan Davis Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities: Jennifer Powell Commissioners Absent: African American Resource Advisory Commission: Serita Fontanesi Hispanic/Latino Quality-of Life-Resource Advisory Commission: Amanda Afifi (Chair) Commission for Women: Julie Glasser LGBTQ+ Quality-of-Life Advisory Commission: VACANT Staff in Attendance: Equity Office, Business Process Consultant – Jeremy Garza Equity Office, Community Services Program Coordinator – Alejandra Mireles 1 (JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE) MEETING MINUTES (10.25.2023) PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Approve the minutes of the COMMITTEE’s REGULAR MEETING on AUGUST 23rd, 2023. The minutes from the meeting of August 23rd, 2023, were approved on COMMISSIONER REBECCA AUSTEN’s motion, JENNIFER POWELL’s second on a 7 – 0 vote. (Absent: Serita Fontanesi, Amanda Afifi, and Julie Glasser) None APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. STAFF BRIEFINGS None. DISCUSSION ITEM 2. Discussion on the FY24 adopted Budget; report and soliciting feedback from the Joint Inclusion Budget Workshop hosted on September 9th, 2024; with discussion on the FY25 Budget timeline and upcoming FY25 Budget Town Halls. Staff liaison JEREMY GARZA shared with the Commission about September 9th's JIC Budget Workshop and the dates for upcoming town halls. Commissioner RICHARD BONDI asked for some follow up on reports as to how the recommendations in the past have been used. Staff liaison JEREMY GARZA stated that he and staff liaison ALEJANDRA MIRELES will pass this information onto the Departments. The JIC could also make a recommendation for a request of these reports from the City of Austin Departments and possibly add this step/requirement to the Budget Process in the future. Commissioner RICHARD BONDI will discuss requesting reports with the Commission on Aging and then share with other commissions. Commissioner JENNIFER POWELL expressed to the Commission that she greatly appreciated and learned a lot at the event. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 3. Discussion on the Human Rights Commission’s recommendation 20230828-008, with possible action on passing a recommendation to City Council calling for an audit of City programs, services, and resources for people experiencing homelessness in Austin. Commissioner RICHARD BRONDI requested Commissioner MORGAN DAVIS, from the Human Rights Commission, to provide background information. Commissioner MORGAN DAVIS shared with the Commission that the Human Rights Commission made the recommendation because of housing and the COA Budget. Specifically, emergency housing, essential services, mental health services for members of the community who are experiencing homelessness. The Human Rights Commission asked, what can we do with boots on the grounds, with 2 (JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE) MEETING MINUTES (10.25.2023) measurable metrics, to help the community? How can we use the city resources in the best practical ways, including how is the city using the funds immediately? Commissioner MORGAN DAVIS shared with the Commission that part of the goal of the recommendation was for a performance analytics was run in regard to the City of Austin’s Budget with homelessness. The Commission approved the recommendation to City Council calling for an audit of City programs, services, and resources for people experiencing homelessness in Austin on Commissioner JENNIFER POWELL’s motion and Commissioner HANNA HUANG’s seconds on a 7 – 0 vote. (Absent: Serita Fontanesi, Amanda Afifi, and Julie Glasser) Discussion on the Human Rights Commission’s recommendation 20230828-009, with possible action on passing a recommendation to City Council asking them to pass a resolution in response to Operation Lone Star and the inhumane treatment of migrants on the Texas/Mexico border. Commissioner MORGAN DAVIS gave the Commission background on the Human Right Commission’s recommendation. Specifically, the recommendation was made because the policies at the border do not align with the City of Austin’s values. The Commission approved the recommendation to City Council asking them to pass a resolution in response to Operation Lone Star and the inhumane treatment of migrants on the Texas/Mexico border on Commissioner RICHARD BONDI’s motion and Commissioner LEONOR VARGAS’s second on a 7 – 0 vote, with Commissioner JENNIFER POWELL abstaining. (Absent: Serita Fontanesi, Amanda Afifi, and Julie Glasser) Discussion on the Human Rights Commission’s recommendation 20230828-010, with possible action on passing a recommendation to City Council asking them to pass a resolution in response to inhumane prison conditions in Texas this summer. Commissioner MORGAN DAVIS provided the Commission with background from the Human Rights Commission’s recommendation. MORGAN DAVIS stated that the Human Rights Commission believed that the heat has become intolerable in state prisons. Guards have air-conditioning – but inmates do not, and this is inhumane. Although Travis County’s prisons have air conditioning, the recommendation is meant to for the state to use Travis County's qualities because air-conditioning can be provided to inmate effectively and economically. Commissioner Vargas commends the Human Rights Commission for making the recommendation. The Commission approved the recommendation to the City Council asking them to pass a resolution in response to inhumane prison conditions in Texas this summer on Commissioner RICHARD BONDI’s motion and Commissioner REBECCA AUSTEN’s second on a 7 – 0 vote. (Absent: Serita Fontanesi, Amanda Afifi, and Julie Glasser) Discussion on City leadership vacancies and the twenty-three city departments being led by interim directors, with possible action to pass a recommendation to City Council urging for an expedited hiring process for vacant executive leadership positions with opportunities for commission and community involvement. 3 4. 5. 6. (JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE) MEETING MINUTES (10.25.2023) Commissioner HANNAH HUANG shared with the Commission how the Asian American Quality of Life Commission is concerned with the lack of movement or change in the City of Austin’s Executive positions’ absences. Specifically, there has been no movement to address the vacancies, from the top, down. Commissioner RICHARD BRONDI asked if the Commission on Asian American Quality of Life would like to draft a recommendation before the Commission's next meeting. Commissioner HANNA HUANG said that she and the Asian American Quality of Life Commission would do so, including the list of positions, along with the process from HRD about the timelines, and share with the JIC Commissioners for feedback. The recommendation will also include information that the city will return to the old city policy of appointments, rather than using a protocol/process for hiring. Commissioner REBECCA AUSTEN shared that the Commission on Women has made recommendations about staffing at the city, including the importance of a process for hiring that includes feedback from the community. Discussion on the Hispanic/Latino Quality-of-Life Resource Advisory Commission’s recommendation 20230822-004, with possible action on passing a recommendation to City Council about medical respite, street medicine, and the Austin Police Department. Commissioner LEONOR VARGAS provided the Commission with background information to the Hispanic/Latino Quality-of-life Resource Advisory Commission’s recommendation. When APD’s sweeps of camps where people experiencing homelessness were done, APD did not allow the people experiencing homelessness, who were living there, to take their medicine and medical paperwork upon leaving. The Hispanic/Latino Quality-of-Life Resource recommendation includes a protocol so that our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness can take their items in such sweeps. The Commission approved the recommendation to City Council to support and direct medical respite, street medicine, and the Austin Police Department on Commissioner JENNIFER POWELL’s motion and Commissioner HANNA HUANG’s second on a 7 – 0 vote. (Absent: Serita Fontanesi, Amanda Afifi, and Julie Glasser) Discussion on the Hispanic/Latino Quality-of-Life Resource Advisory Commission’s recommendation 20230822-006 on organization changes in the City, with possible action to pass a recommendation to City Council to maintain the independent autonomy of the Equity Office, Civil Rights Office, Sustainability Office, Resilience Office, and the Small & Minority Business Resources Department. Commissioner LEONOR VARGAS provided the Commission with background information on the Commission's previous discussion. Commissioner HANNA HUANG asked if the Small & Minority Business Resource Department was under Economic Development and staff liaison JEREMY GARZA looked at the city org chart to confirm it was not under the economic development office. The Commission approved the recommendation on to City Council to maintain the independent autonomy of the Equity Office, Civil Rights Office, Sustainability Office, Resilience Office, and the Small & Minority Business Resources Department. Commissioner 4 7. 8. (JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE) MEETING MINUTES (10.25.2023) HANNA HUANG’s motion and Commissioner LEONOR VARGAS’s second on a 7 – 0 vote. (Absent: Serita Fontanesi, Amanda Afifi, and Julie Glasser) 9. 10. Discussion on Age Friendly Action Plan that guides the overall work of the commission, and possible action on creating a new JIC workgroup to dedicated to creating a Joint Action Plan that will help identify and develop goals and priorities for the Committee. Commissioner RICHARD BONDI shared background information on the document with the Commission and wondered if perhaps the Commission would want to create something like through a workgroup. Commissioner RICHARD BONDI and staff liaison JEREMY GARZA shared with the Commission that such a document could be a guide for upcoming Commissioners whenever there is turnover. The guide could include the priorities for advocacy, a charter for the JIC and a year’s action plan. Commissioner REBECCA AUSTEN shared that the Commission for Women has something like this to help them prioritize their goals. The Commission for Women’s guide is shorter. Commissioner RICHARD BONDI asked if the Commissioner REBECCA AUSTEN could share what the Commission for Women did. Commissioner RICHARD BONDI stated that if the Commission agrees, the Commission could move to create a workgroup for the project – but wait to assign commissioners to the work group because of absences during the meeting. The Commission approved the creation of a workgroup that TASKED WITH CREATING A GUIDING DOCUMENT for the Commission and authorized to work until the END OF MAY 2024 with a brief presentation on their findings to the Committee, on Commissioner RICHARD BONDI’s motion and Commissioner REBECCA AUSTEN’s second on a 7 – 0 vote. (Absent: Serita Fontanesi, Amanda Afifi, and Julie Glasser). Commissioners RICHARD BONDI and MORGAN DAVIS volunteer for the workgroup. Commissioner RICHARD BONDI asks Commissioner REBECCA AUSTEN to share what the Commission for Women used with the Commission and Commissioner LEONOR VARGAS asked if she could reach out to community members from the Hispanic/Latino Quality-of-Life Resource Advisory Commission for volunteers. Staff liaison ALEJANDRA MIRELES will add it to next month’s agenda. Review and discuss the scope of all current working groups and possible action to update membership. Budget workgroup and housing Workgroup. Adding Dylan Lowery to the housing workgroup. Commissioner RICHARD BONDI asked staff liaison JEREMY GARZA what workgroups the JIC currently has, and he shared that the JIC has the budget workgroup, housing workgroup, and the newly created, guiding document for JIC workgroup. Commissioner RICHARD BONDI provided the Commission with background of Dylan Lowery who is a part of ECHO and is excited to join workgroup. The Commission approved DYLAN LOWERY’s addition to the housing workgroup on Commissioner RICHARD BONDI’s motion and Commissioner HANNA HUANG’s second on a 7 – 0 vote. (Absent: Serita Fontanesi, Amanda Afifi, and Julie Glasser) 5 (JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE) MEETING MINUTES (10.25.2023) WORKING GROUP/COMMITTEE UPDATES None. WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: None. Budget Workshops: “Investing in Community – Joint Inclusion Town Hall” on October 18th (in person), October 24th (virtually), and November 4th (in person). Commissioner RICHARD BONDI asked Commission for future agenda items, none were given. Discussion of the resignation of Chief Chacon and how APD could show up; ask the office of the community liaison to be present. (Sponsored by Commissioner Serita Fontanesi). The minutes were approved at the October 25th, 2023 meeting on COMMISSIONER JULIE GLASSER’s motion, COMMISSIONER RICHARD BONDI’s second on a 9-0 vote (Absent: Commissioner Melissa Ortega). 6